Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
14.6 mi
24 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Morningside Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Jamaica, NY to Morningside Heights, NY is 14.6 miles and takes about 26m via Grand Central Parkway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip keeps you within New York state, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. It's a drive that’s mostly on parkways and bridges, offering a straightforward transit between two points in the metropolitan area. Consider this route when you need an efficient way to get across town with minimal fuss and a predictable travel time.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Central Parkway | 7.3 mi | 10m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| East 125th Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Broadway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Pinegrove Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Way | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and Morningside Heights, NY.
Start on Tuskegee Airmen Way
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
At end of road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway East
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 678
Take the exit
Merge onto GCP
Keep slight left at fork onto GCP
Keep slight left at fork onto GCP
Continue on I 278
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Turn slight right onto East 125th Street
Turn left onto Broadway
Turn left
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 12.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward Grand Central Parkway, La Guardia Airport, RFK Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward East 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$2.37 one way
$4.75 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $2.57 | $5.14 |
| premium | $4.87 | $2.80 | $5.59 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $3.11 | $6.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.28 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
2:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Morningside Heights on Sunday
Local time
2:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This drive features a 59% highway share, meaning you'll experience a mix of faster parkway travel and city streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 7.3 miles on the Grand Central Parkway, giving you a good segment of flowing traffic. You'll transition from parkway to bridge to surface streets, so be prepared for changes in speed and road conditions. The overall profile is a mixed drive, typical for navigating between different boroughs or neighborhoods within a large urban environment.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.9 miles in.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 14.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Jamaica, NY and Morningside Heights, NY, road signs point toward La Guardia Airport, Manhattan, Randalls Island and Harlem River Drive North.
La Guardia Airport
Manhattan
Randalls Island
Harlem River Drive North
Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 14.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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